Gimmie a break…
Gimmie a break…
That was (and still may be?) the anthem for Kit-Kat bars in the 1990s. The commercials would always start by depicting some stressed out mom, burnt-out executive, or exhausted student desperately in need of “a break.”
Then, a Kit-Kat bar would appear, you’d hear the words, Break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat Bar!, and the person would enjoy said Kit-Kat bar. Then—BOOM—all would be right in the universe of the stressed, burned-out, and exhausted person.
Though the commercial intended to sell Kit-Kat bars, it did a better job of selling the dangers of remaining in such negative states….a danger too many people are ignoring.
This world has become an insanely busy place, and if you allow that busy-ness to consume you, it will break you.
Like an engine that remains in overdrive for too long, there’s only so much you can handle mentally and physically before you breakdown.
And it’s when you break that things get bad…really bad.
The Effects of a Break-less Life
That’s when you get sick, become critical of your friends and family, feel depressed and defeated, and lose your joy for and appreciation of all the wonderful things in your life.
Avoiding this state as much as possible is essential to both your health and happiness.
Notice how I said: as much as possible.
…you can’t avoid it all the time.
You Deserve to Take a Break Today
But you can avoid it most of the time just by taking a break—and I don’t mean a Kit-Kat break. (We all know that sweets and processed foods are not good for our well-being.)
I also don’t mean the kind of break promoted in McDonald’s famous commercial that sings to us so sweetly, You deserve a break today…Eating fast food will not cure what ails you.
Take a break from work. Take a break from your peers. Take a break from your relationship, stressful situations, politics, the news that is so incessantly negative.
Take a break from whatever creates the negative state within you.
Short Break Work Wonders
These breaks don’t need to be vacations or weekend getaways. You can take a break with a ten-minute walk around the block or 30-minute trip to the park. Your breaks can be five-minute meditation periods or 20-minute naps. You’d be surprised at how little time it takes to reset and recharge your mind and body.
So the next time you’re feeling overworked, overwhelmed, or overstressed by your boss, customers, family, or something else—take these two steps to create a break:
- Determine what it is that is causing you to feel negative emotions. Is it someone or something in your daily life or a situation in the world at large?
- Take a short break. Step outside for a quick stroll, sit down in a quiet place. Do nothing else. If that feel too difficult—and it can to some people who have become habitual doers—pet your cat, throw a ball to your dog, or pick some flowers in your garden. Take some sort of break for just 10 to 15 minutes.
You can spare that time. In fact, you need to spare it.
And you’ll be blown away at how refreshed and inspired you’ll feel after a break.
How does taking a break affect your day and overall well-being?
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Photo copyright: GLady / Pixabay.com
